NCT03856749

Effectiveness of Wheelchair Skills Training for Caregivers of Manual Wheelchair Users

Effectiveness of Wheelchair Skills Training for Caregivers of Manual Wheelchair Users: a Randomized Waitlist-controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 27 (actual)
• Sponsor: Lee Kirby · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Although there have been a small number of studies suggesting the important role that caregivers play in assisting wheelchair users with mobility, there has never been a randomized controlled trial (RCT) looking at the effectiveness or cost-utility of wheelchair skills training for caregivers. The overall goal of this study is to correct this knowledge gap and, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, to conduct the training remotely. The main purpose of this study is to test if providing wheelchair skills training remotely to caregivers of manual wheelchair users enhances caregiver-assisted wheelchair skills ability and confidence in comparison to a control group of participants who are receiving usual care and self-study material on wheelchair skills. The investigators will also study whether the benefits of training are still seen at a 6-week follow-up and assess the health-economic impact of caregiver training.

Conditions

• Caregivers

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Remote wheelchair skills training	Prior to the first training session, the trainer will be provided with the results from the assessment immediately preceding training to provide him/her time to individualize the training session. Trainer will provide self-study materials (the Caregiver Handbook and caregiver-training video-recording) and an explanation on how these materials should be used. The wheelchair user and caregiver will be trained together on wheelchair skills, using the principles of the Wheelchair Skills Training Program, as outlined in the Wheelchair Skills Program Manual using remote technology. Each training session will be with a trainer-to-dyad ratio of 1:1 1 dyad = 1 manual wheelchair user + his/her caregiver. Training will continue until the goals have been met and retained (for at least one subsequent session), using up to 4 training sessions that will each last up to 60 minutes at intervals a minimum of 3 days.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-12-04
• Primary completion: 2023-05-30
• Completion: 2023-05-30
• First posted: 2019-02-27
• Last updated: 2024-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada